6.
—(1) The reference to the 1st day of April, 1954, contained (by virtue of section 6 of the Act of 1952) in subsection (1) of section 16, subsection (2) of section 19 and subsection (1) of section 20 of the Act of 1948 and subsection (1) of section 6 of the Act of 1950 shall be construed as a reference to the 1st day of April, 1956.

(2) The reference to the 1st day of April, 1954, in paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section 7 and paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section 24 of the Act of 1952 shall be construed as a reference to the 1st day of April, 1956.

(3) The reference to the 1st day of April, 1954, contained (by virtue of subsections (1) and (2) of section 13 of the Act of 1952) in paragraph (j) of subsection (1) of section 5 of the Act of 1932 shall be construed as a reference to the 1st day of April, 1956.

7.
—Section 16 of the Act of 1948 and section 6 of the Act of 1950 are hereby amended by the insertion of “as normal place of residence” after “occupied” wherever the latter word occurs in those sections.

8.
— Subsection (1) of section 19 of the Act of 1948 is hereby amended by the insertion after “person erecting one or more than one house” of “(including a local authority erecting one or more than one house otherwise than for the purposes of the Housing of the Working Classes Acts or the Labourers Acts)”.

(2) Subsection (1) of section 10 of the Act of 1952 shall have effect in relation to a house situate in a county borough, the borough of Dún Laoghaire, the county of Dublin or the district electoral divisions of St. Mary's, Bishopstown, Blackrock and Douglas in the county of Cork as if—

12.
—(1) The Minister may, with the consent of the Minister for Finance and subject to regulations made under this section, make, out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas, to a person executing repair works or improvement works on a house a grant not exceeding whichever of the following amounts is the smaller:—

(a) (i) the house to be repaired or improved is occupied by or is suitable for occupation by persons of the working classes or agricultural labourers within the meaning of the Labourers Acts and is certified by the housing authority (or, in the case of an appeal, by the Minister) to be suitable for repair or improvement, and

(ii) the Minister is satisfied that the house by reason of structural or sanitary defects is, or is likely to become, dangerous or injurious to health or that the proposed works are necessary for the purpose of rendering it more suitable for human habitation, or

(4) Where a housing authority refuse to certify for the purposes of this section that a house is suitable for repair or improvement, the person concerned may appeal to the Minister and if the Minister, after consideration of the appeal, is satisfied that the house is so suitable, he may certify accordingly.

(5) For the purposes of this section a housing authority shall have the like powers of borrowing as are conferred on such authority for the purposes of the Housing of the Working Classes Acts or the Labourers Acts.

(6) Where a grant is paid under this section in respect of any works, no grant shall be paid in respect of those works under any other section of the Housing (Financial and Miscellaneous Provisions) Acts, 1932 to 1954.

(7) Where a grant is made under this section in respect of works executed on a house, the valuation of the tenement consisting of or including the house shall not, on any valuation or revision of the valuation thereof coming into force within seven years after the completion of the works, be increased on account of any increase in the value of such tenement arising from the works.

“sanitary defects” includes lack of air space or of ventilation, darkness, dampness, absence of adequate and readily accessible water supply or sanitary accommodation or of other conveniences and inadequate paving or drainage of courts, yards or passages;

(10) After the passing of this Act, grants, other than grants allocated before such passing, shall not be made under
section 5
of the
Housing and Labourers Act, 1937
(No. 42 of 1937), under that section as extended by subsection (1) of section 33 of the Act of 1952 or under section 8 of the Act of 1950.

13.
—(1) The Minister may, with the consent of the Minister for Finance and subject to regulations made under this section, make, out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas, to a person providing a house for letting, a grant not exceeding the appropriate sum specified in the
Second Schedule
to this Act if—

(c) such person undertakes with the Minister that, save in accordance with regulations made under this section, he will not sell the house within a period of fifteen years from the date of the undertaking and that he will let the house subject to such conditions as may be specified in the said regulations.

(2) Subsections (1) and (2) of section 44 of the Act of 1948, as amended by section 15 of the Act of 1950, are each hereby further amended by the insertion of “or a grant is made under section 13 of the Housing (Amendment) Act, 1954, in respect of a house erected during the period referred to in that section” after “to a person or public utility society”.

(3) Subsection (2) of section 45 of the Act of 1948, as amended by section 18 of the Act of 1952, is hereby further amended by the insertion of “or under section 12 or 13 of the Housing (Amendment) Act, 1954”, after “the Housing (Financial and Miscellaneous Provisions) Acts, 1932 to 1952”.

14.
—(1) The Minister may make a grant in respect of the reconstruction of a house under section 16 of the Act of 1948 notwithstanding that a grant for the erection or reconstruction of the house has previously been made under any enactment—